Fact Check Team: Airport lines may grow as unpaid TSA staff work through DHS shutdown

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is disrupting airport operations, but not aviation safety, at least for now.

TSA workers, who fall under Homeland Security, are working without pay. Air traffic controllers are not affected in the same way because they’re part of the Federal Aviation Administration under the Department of Transportation, which remains funded, according to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee FY2026 funding bill.

Still, there are ripple effects.

According to Government Executive, a nearly 4% pay raise for air traffic controllers is now on hold because it was tied to the DHS portion of the funding package.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 19: An airport alert is shown as travelers wait in line at Terminal E at George Bush International Airport on March 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Airports across the country continue to experience long lines during the federal shutdown affecting TSA. (Photo by Antranik Tavitian/Getty Images)

For travelers, the biggest impact is at security checkpoints. Past shutdowns show TSA call-outs increase when workers aren’t paid, leading to longer lines and delays. As for safety, there’s no evidence that a government shutdown has ever caused a plane crash.

But it has strained the system.

During the 2018–2019 shutdown, staffing shortages led to a temporary ground stop at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, not due to a failure, but because there weren’t enough controllers to manage traffic safely, according to Government Executive and the Government Accountability Office.

Experts say that’s by design: if staffing drops too low, operations slow down to maintain safety.

Bottom line: flights are still safe, but the longer a shutdown lasts, the more pressure builds on the system, especially for travelers on the ground.